Olean News

District 7550 Bluefield, Virginia Rotarian Sandra Lima Argo (pictured left) used Rotary tools to find the president of the Rotary Club of Olean, Mary Kay Worth.  Sandra and her husband, Trent Argo – also a Rotarian, had established a connection with the education department of Saint Bonaventure University in Southwestern New York.

 

Rotarian Mary Kay (pictured second from the left) is also affiliated with Bonaventure as an adjunct in the Education Department.  Plans were made to meet last November when Sandra and Trent traveled to New York.  Then plans were made to include Olean Rotary in the week of learning for five Brazilian administrators in April.

 

Rotarian Sandra is the CEO/Program Director at Liaison America. The ten-person team from Bonaventure, Virginia, and Brazil visited our Olean Rotary club on April 5.  Sandra told a bit of history on the inception, planning, and delivery of the TO BE program.  Its intent is to help forge a vision for improving teaching and learning in their schools.  Five private school Brazilian administrators participated in a full week of learning.  Rotary was the community connection on their busy agenda.  They were our program!  In turn, we were invited to a reception the following Thursday at Saint Bonaventure where the Brazilian team shared a cultural presentation.  We ALL danced!

 

Ciro Azevedo, Past President of the Mossoro Rotary Club Brazil District 4500, was one of the visiting school administrators.  He was happy to receive one of our club flags to present as makeup meeting evidence!

 

Also pictured on the right is Karen Rich, Bluefield Rotarian and Past President, who traveled with the team an instructor for To BE Program.  She was in charge of the session: Reflections and Applications.

 

Education is valued and mutual learning happens when we forge relationships that are purposeful and sustainable.  Rotary has the capacity to do just that.  Rotary Districts 7090, 7550, and 4500 are connected!  YAY!